Lamed

The Teacher. Tallest letter in the alphabet — the only one that reaches above the line — Lamed is a lighthouse craning to see over everyone's head, or (the tradition says) a tower flying in the air. She goads, she teaches (lamad), she aspires. The heart of the alphabet: the middle letter, and lev (heart) needs her.

Lamed announced: with me begins Limmud, learning! The answer: the world will need you every single day after it exists — a teacher arrives second. She stands now at the exact center of the letters, above the line, still teaching.